Winter season gets underway
THE WINTER season of the Loughborough and District Pubs & Clubs Darts League started last Thursday with 53 teams competing from 27 pubs and clubs in the local area making up this season’s six divisions.
In an excellent opening night of darts, 13 maximums were scored across the various divisions and Bottom Railway BA team member Chris Peat hit a 150 finish to set the bar in the race for the highest check-out of the season.
In Blue Ball Division One the quality of the competition was demonstrated as all four games finished in close 5-4 results. Andy Hibbert hit two maximums for Bottom Railway BA as they got their defence of the title off to a winning start with a win against last season’s third place Blue Ball Lions. Steve Hopkins also hit two maximums and Captain Mike Pepper one for Spot On MP as they lost to the Royal Oak DP and Malc Wagg hit a maximum for Navigation Wagg’s Gang as they narrowly beat new boys Royal Oak Bluemoon Foxes. In the final game in the division Chris Wilson hit a maximum for the Royal Oak Shooters as they beat the Three Nuns Left Footers.
In Wanty’s Division Two Spot On Lads won 6-3 against Tap and Mallet JB, and the Beacon and Black Swan Gatecrashers won 5-4 against the Unicorn AW and Arena Gladiators respectively. Unfortunately the LSU @ Café Fuego have withdrawn from the division without throwing a dart so this fixture should now be considered a bye for the rest of the season.
In S H Cox Division Three, Sam Worthington hit a maximum for the Peacock Rockers as they got off to a good start with a 7-2 win against the Black Swan JS. Michael Sciepanow and Eric Davis both hit maximums for Spot On Guys & Gals as they won 6-3 away to the Tap and Mallet CD, and there were also 6-3 wins for the Three Nuns Exiles and Spot On Rejects.
In Generous Briton Division Four Steve Hardy hit a maximum for newly promoted Dewdrop Blues as they beat the Richmond Jukeboxers 7-2, and Steve Burton hit one for the Crown Rejects as they beat the Bull and Bush Laughing Boys 6-3.
In Navigation Division Five there were mixed results for the two promoted sides, Crown Jewels Barrow beat the Blue Ball CS 7-2 whilst the Plough Ernie’s lost by the same score to Tap and Clapper Rojo’s, and in Jim Kidger Division Six Top Railway One Bad Apple showed their intent with the highest winning margin of the week, an 8-1 win against the White Hart Stags.
The full results for Thursday, October 26, were: Blue Ball Division One: Boat House Tap Tappers - Bye, Three Nuns Left Footers 4-5 Royal Oak Shooters (Chris Wilson 180), Royal Oak DP 5-4 Spot On MP (Mike Pepper 180, Steve Hopkins 180 x 2), Royal Oak Bluemoon Foxes 4-5 Barrow Cons Wagg’s Gang (Malc Wagg 180), Blue Ball Lions 4-5 Bottom Railway BA (Andy Hibbert 180 x 2, Chris Peat 150 Finish). Wanty’s Division Two: Three Crowns Ghostbusters - Bye, Unicorn AW (Daz Beasly 105 Finish) 4-5 The Beacon, Spot On Lads 6-3 Tap and Mallet JB, Black Swan Gate Crashers 5-4 Arena Gladiators, LSU Darts @ Café Fuego v Blacksmiths Blue Army - No game LSU Darts have withdrawn. S H Cox Division Three: Spot On Rejects 6-3 Twelve Degrees 26ers, Three Nuns Reds 3-6 Three Nuns Exiles, Tap and Mallet CD 3-6 Spot On Guy ‘n’ Gals (Eric Davis 180, Michael Sciepanow 180), Peacock Rockers (Sam Worthington 180) 7-2 Black Swan JS, Three Nuns Albion - Bye. Generous Briton Division Four: Richmond Jukeboxers 2-7 Dewdrop Blues (Steve Hardy 180), Bull & Bush Laughing Boys 3-6 Crown Rejects (Steve Burton 180), Plough B 3-6 Tap & Clapper, Peacock Feathers - Bye, OEG Dad’s Army 5-4 Boat Inn Black Pearls. Navigation Division Five: Crown Jewels, Barrow 7-2 Blue Ball CS, Bottom Railway Leftovers 6-3 Windmill Wild Hearts (Sean Disney 180), Tap & Clapper Rojo’s 7-2 Plough Ernie’s, Windmill Luffs 3-6 Royal Oak Old Uns, Blue Ball B - Bye. Jim Kidger Division Six: White Hart Stags 1-8 Top Railway One Bad Apple, Arena Savvies 3-6 Three Nuns Bad Habits, Royal Oak Oakers - Bye, Black Swan B&W 3-6 LSU Darts @ Arena, Crown KM 3-6 Blue Ball MS.